10/8/13 Tuesday October 8, 2013 ( PR 32 kg, DB SL DL 12 kgs)

6:00am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills -30 minutes

6:30am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm 16 kg
12kg armbars - 1 L, 1 R

6:45am - Training session - PR 32 kg, superset DB SL DLs 12 kgs

Warm up -
TGU 24kg, 1+1
GSq 24 kg, 5
DB DL 32 kg, 5, single 5L, 5R alt
2H SW 24 kg, 10

PR 24 kg, 2+2

PR 28 kg, 2+2, 2X
DB SL DL 12 kgs, 5L, 5R

32 kg 1+1, 2X
DB SL DL 12 kgs, 5L, 5R

32 kg 1+1

7:15am - Complete

Notes -  This actually went really well.  I was wondering a bit how this would go but my body felt a ton better today.  Pressing the 32 kg was actually quite easy.  Good stuff.

10/7/13 Monday October 7, 2013 (DB 24kg PR, 1H SW 32 kg)

6:30am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills - 65 minutes (just ridiculously long to get loose - see below)

7:35am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm 16 kg
12kg armbars - 1 L, 1 R

7:50am - Training session -DB PR 24 kgs, 1H SW 32 kg

Warm up -
TGU 20kg, 1+1
TGU 24kg, 1+1
TGU 28kg, 1+1
GSq 24 kg, 5
DB DL 32 kg, 5, single 5L, 5R alt


DB 24 kgs PR, 2, 3, 5 - 3X (took about 15 minutes with rest) (30 total reps)

1H SW 32 kg, 5 L, 5 R - 8X (40 reps each arm) (took about 10 minutes with rest)

8:35am - Complete

Notes -  I about lost my mind trying to get warmed up today.  Body was beyond tight, in so many places - right forearm/ tricep, hips, glutes, right quad, knee was tender, right calf, ankle.  The running on the weekends, which I am glad I am at least testing out, is proving a bit problematic it seems.  Did just over 5 miles at Greenlake on Saturday afternoon and I guess the DOMS was really kicking in Monday morning.  My friend has asked me to train for the Seattle half marathon (end Nov) with him and I have not agreed to it but thought I would test things with 1 time a week running on the weekends to see how it goes.  While running I feel generally ok but recovery has obviously sucked big time.  It's also relevant that I did like 3 hours of yard work yesterday - not really strenuous per se, but I was moving the entire time so fair enough, my body probably was not in very good recovered mode this morning.

So once I finally did get loose enough I headed out to train with the bells and I felt great.  Kevin set out a new training plan for me for the next several weeks and on the menu today for the first time were sets that included 5s on the DB 24s and also for the first time basically ever, swinging the 32 with 1H for reps.  I really felt good on these movements and was particularly pleased with the 1H SW.  I can remember doing 1H hikes with the 32 and that's it - not even full swinging it - not THAT long ago and thinking - this bastard feels heavy.  Today I had great float on the bell, didn't really focus on the height of the swings but I was getting pretty good height.  I even did some hand switches on the last two sets once I felt pretty comfortable that I was controlling the bell well enough.  I have a feeling I am going to feel this in the morning though.

10/4/13 Friday October 4, 2013 (Training with Kevin)

Checked my training log and I last trained with Kevin on Friday September 6 - it has been 4 weeks.  In the early part of that week on Monday the 2nd I had a training accident on a 2H SW that had left my right wrist pretty beat up, and the forearm as well.  Treated it immediately with several visits to my acupuncturist, some TLC, lacrosse ball release, and smarter training.  I am sitting here 4 weeks later thinking about what I accomplished in the last time period and it feels damn good.  I am grateful, and appreciative

Before meeting Kevin at 6:30am I did about 15 quick minutes of OS resets at home as well as my standard kettlebell warm-up minus arm bars.  Body was feeling pretty good.

6:30am - Training session with Kevin.  We did some basic primal move and then got into things.

We practiced some light TGUs with the 16 and then did some rack holds with some prying forward and back, as well as rotating side to side.  I liked how that felt quite a bit.

We did a few TGUs with the 24, working on really locking out the elbow particularly on the L.

Did some pull up practice, over hand grip, ladder of 1, 2, 3 PUs.  Very easy.  This is intended to ensure I can bang out the 5 required PUs for the SFG without every practicing PUs as I don't have a PU bar at home.  I still know I really need to try and do something about that.

We then got into some swings, using the 24 for a set of 10 2H, then 10L, 10R.  We then got into the same thing with the 28, and then I practiced with a 32 kg with 1H for a few sets of  5 L, 5 R.  The thing felt extremely heavy which surprised me. Turns out Kevin sent me a text later in the morning and I was 1H swinging a damn 36!!!  No wonder.  There were some wonky reps in there, did not feel good, it is quite encouraging to know that was a 36.  I actually think a 32 is something I am ready for but no way in hell with a 36 yet.

We moved on and practiced some DB 24 kg SW, did probably 5 or so sets of 8-10 reps.  Got a good feeel for these - it has been a very long time since I did the SW with DBs.  It's a good movement and I like it.

We then practiced some DB SQ with the 24s, a couple sets of 5, got some cues from Kevin to really pull down into the hole and keep everything very tight coming out so there is no give in the back.  After a couple of cues I felt my form improved.

We then practiced some DB PR with the 24s, a couple of sets of 3, which felt great.  That is probably one of my strongest lifts.

We finished off by snatching the 24kg for 2 or 3 sets of 5 R, 5 L, just practicing technique on "breathing through the hips" to try and improve timing of exhale to occur prior to the bell's ascent out of the hole, exploding the hips, which is going to make the movement to lockout quite a bit easier.  These felt good.

7:35am - Finish
Great session, I feel like we covered quite a bit of ground with a lot of lifts and is was very good practice for me to get Kevin's eyes on my lifts.  Here's to more progress---

10/3/13 Thursday October 3, 2013 (TGUs, 2H SW)

6:15am - Original Strength and Primal Move - 30 minutes

6:45am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 1+1

7:00am - Training session - Focus on TGUs, 40 kg 2H SW

28kg, 1+1 (2x)

Warm up
28 kg 2H SW, 10

40 kg 2H SW, 5, 10X (50 reps)

7:25am - Complete

Notes -  Punch the clock workout again, just trying to get some heavy swings in to keep the focus.  TGUs with the 28 all week, that was good too.

10/2/13 Wednesday October 2, 2013 (DB 24 kg complex)

6:00am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills - 20 minutes (abbreviated going very fast due to having little time)

6:20am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm 16 kg
12kg armbars - 1 L, 1 R

6:35am - Training session -DB Sq 24 kgs complex

Warm up -
TGU 24kg, 2X 1+1
GSq 24 kg, 5
DB 32 kg DL, 5, 5 alt L/R

DB 24 kgs Complex - 20 minutes timed

Got 10X of the following:
DB CL, 3
DB PR, 3
DB Sq, 3

Awesome!!  Major improvements over the last several weeks.

Pace for the first 8X was 1 minute work, 1 minute rest.  At the 8:00 minute mark remaining I took 30 extra seconds for 9X.  Then again went at 1:30 for 10X.  Taking the extra rest on the last two sets was key, as was shaking out my arms fast and loose style.

Totals:
DB CL - 30
DB PR - 30 (27 last week)
DB SQ - 30 (26 last week)

7:05am - Complete

Notes -  This may seem subtle in terms of improvement but it was not.  This was a major step up in one week.  These reps were strong, and I was not just "surviving" the set at the end but still focused and doing good, quality reps despite dealing with accumulating fatigue.  I had to grind on the last press of the last couple of sets, but I kept it nearly perfectly strict, got rid of the lean back that had crept in here and there the last few weeks. clenched the glutes and really gripped the shit out of the bells on the ascent and the descent, pulling down hard with the lats to load the next rep.  Squats were solid, down into the hole and strongly back out on each rep.  I really, really love this double bell work.  Incredibly demanding, very time efficient, challenges the technique, mental fortitude to stay focused, etc etc.  There is no reason to try and go up in bell size yet with this particular work session.   I am not what I would call "dominating" the 24s all the way to the last rep yet so more practice needed before going to 28s.

10/1/13 Tuesday October 1, 2013 (TGUs, SL DL bw)

6:15am - Original Strength and Primal Move - 30 minutes

6:45am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 8kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm

Arm bar 12 kg, 1+1

7:00am - Training session - Focus on TGUs, SL DLs

28kg, 1+1

SL DL bodyweight, 5x per leg

28 kg, 1+1

SL DL bodyweight, 5x per leg

7:15am - Complete

Notes -  Good session, just another punch the clock effort.

9/30/13 Monday September 30, 2013 (28 kg complex)

6:45am - Original Strength, Primal Move drills - 45 minutes (needed lots of extra time on the foam roll, lacrosse ball, just could not get loose due to running 4 miles around the lake yesterday)

7:30am - Kettlebell warm up ("Standard")

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
1/2K pullover - 12 kg, 5X each leg

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)

1/2K pullover - 16 kg, 5X each leg
Roll to press (TGU start) - shoulder cam shafts, each arm 16 kg
12kg armbars - 1 L, 1 R

7:45am - Training session - Single bell 28 kg complex

Warm up -
GSq 24 kg, 5
DB DL 32 kgs, 5, 5/5 alt hands

2X the following, done in circuits.
28 kg TGU, 1+1 (note did these by cleaning and then pressing OH, going to knee/arm, and back up due to rain and wetness and just not wanting to deal with full TGUs)
28 kg 2H SW, 20 (15 last week)
28 kg FSq, 5+5 (3+3 last week)
28 kg 1H SW, 10+10 (5+5 last week)
28 kg C&P, 5+5 (I had to put the bell down after 5 L, 4 R and get the last rep on the R after another clean from the ground - didn't want to miss the last rep badly) (3+3 last week)
28 kg 1H SW, 10+10 (5+5 last week)
24 kg SN, 10+10 (PR, never SN the 24 for this many reps in a set) (5+5 last week)

The circuits took about 32 minutes to complete including the rests between each movement / round.  This is down from 35 minutes last week for 3 sets, of shorter rep counts.

8:30am - Complete

Notes -  Really a very productive and enjoyable training session, albeit yes it was hard at times particularly catching up to me on the the C&Ps.   I intentionally dropped to two sets from three last week but upped the volumes in each set to see how that would affect training.  It was definitely harder this week, more time under load in less overall time for sure.  Really all the lifts felt good albeit on the C&P I did have to put the bell down, take a short rest, and then C&P on that very last rep each set on my R (started L, got all reps).  Interesting as my R side is my strong side but it goes to show you what will happen with accumulating fatigue, and C&Ps with a heavy bell are a bitch.  What a movement though.  I did feel better on my presses this week, tried to get under the bell with my leg on the bell side and really focus on clamping both glutes and squeezing the off arm for additional tension.  My biggest problem today was getting loose before training as I had carryover soreness from running 4 miles around the lake yesterday afternoon.  I have been trying to do a little bit of running just to see how my body reacts and so far I have to say it is not a fail but definitely not a big success either.